Critical Role fans have a lot to be excited about. Prime Video’s animated adaptation The Mighty Nein is on the way, and Campaign 4 — an expanded ensemble that includes many of the series’ original cast members — is streaming weekly on Thursday nights.
Each new campaign brings a fresh roster of characters, and Campaign 4 introduces Thimble: a pixie rogue portrayed by long-time cast member Laura Bailey. At first glance, some fans assumed Thimble would channel the same anarchic energy Bailey brought to Jester in Campaign 2. But the new character takes a different tonal route.
Bailey told Polygon that early fan art sparked expectations that Thimble would be another “chaotic” presence. In reality, she says, Thimble is much more steady and anchored in her perspective on the world — a contrast to the more impulsive, clownish archetype some were expecting.
That distinction becomes clear right away. In the opening episodes, Thimble is not carefree: she’s grieving the loss of her closest friend, Thjazi Fang, and is driven to uncover who is responsible for that death.
Photo: Critical RoleBuilding characters is central to the Dungeons & Dragons experience, and Bailey has shown range across campaigns — from characters that echo her own instincts to those that are wildly different. She explained that she often alternates character types: sometimes creating personas close to herself, other times leaning into unpredictable, high-energy performances, and occasionally choosing more introspective, deliberate roles.
The roster for Campaign 4 is a varied and eccentric ensemble, and that variety created a distinct challenge for other cast members as well. Travis Willingham, a Critical Role co-founder, said he felt a degree of pressure when Brennan Lee Mulligan set the story in a brand-new realm called Aramán; the unfamiliar setting prompted him to start with a somewhat simpler concept for his character so the role could evolve organically as the campaign progressed.
Image: Critical RoleWillingham’s Campaign 4 persona, Teor Pridesire, is a nama paladin — a lion-like, noble figure whose demeanor reads as composed and dignified. That characterization marks a departure from some of his earlier roles, which ranged from the brutish Grog to the more rueful Fjord and the roguish Chetney.
Both Bailey’s Thimble and Willingham’s Teor are only at the outset of their journey in Aramán. Given the long-form nature of Critical Role campaigns — which often unfold over multiple years — these characters have plenty of room to grow and surprise viewers as their stories develop.
Source: Polygon
